Central Ohio has more to offer than you'd think. The Black Hand Sandstone belt running through Licking County creates gorges, cliffs, and creek-side trails unlike anything you'd expect from this part of the Midwest. Part of our Ohio trail guide — see also the waterfalls in Hocking Hills.
Blackhand Gorge is a state nature preserve along the Licking River east of Newark, Ohio. The massive Black Hand Sandstone cliffs rise over 100 feet above the river, and the gorge gets its name from a large hand-shaped petroglyph that was carved into the rock by Native Americans (later destroyed during canal construction in the 1800s). It's a surprisingly dramatic landscape for central Ohio.
EasyA flat, scenic trail along the Licking River through a sandstone gorge with 100-foot cliffs, rock shelters, and deep forest. Easy walking on a converted rail-trail with optional side trails that climb to cliff-top viewpoints. A hidden gem of central Ohio.
EasyA flat, scenic trail along the Licking River through a sandstone gorge with 100-foot cliffs, rock shelters, and deep forest. Easy walking on a converted rail-trail with optional side trails that climb to cliff-top viewpoints. A hidden gem of central Ohio.
EasyA flat, scenic trail along the Licking River through a sandstone gorge with 100-foot cliffs, rock shelters, and deep forest. Easy walking on a converted rail-trail with optional side trails that climb to cliff-top viewpoints. A hidden gem of central Ohio.